Architectural braces are currently used to provide support between architectural features to prevent excessive motion of the architectural features relative to each other. One type of architectural brace that serves as a stabilizer to resist damage from deformation inducing events may have a core member and a buckling restraining assembly. The core member may be formed of a metal, and may have first and second ends attached to the architectural features, and an intermediate portion between the first and second ends. The buckling restraining assembly may have a cement layer that surrounds the intermediate portion of the core member to resist buckling of the intermediate portion, and a casing formed of metal that defines an interior cavity that contains the cement layer and keeps the cement layer in place. One exemplary architectural brace is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,174,680.
Such architectural braces can help a building retain structural integrity in the event of a deformation inducing event. However, the deformation undergone by the core member in a deformation inducing event may well exceed the elastic limits of its material. Further, deformation inducing events may cause the core member to undergo alternating tension and compression displacements. Such reversed loading may weaken the material of the architectural brace, reducing the likelihood that the architectural brace will withstand another deformation inducing event.
Accordingly, such architectural braces may need to be examined after the occurrence of a deformation inducing event in order to determine whether they need to be replaced with new architectural braces. Unfortunately, because the intermediate portion of the core member is encased in the cement layer, it is not possible to examine the intermediate portion of the core member directly, without destroying the architectural brace. The actual strain experienced by the architectural brace may be difficult to predict, even knowing the magnitude of the deformation inducing event, due to the complexity introduced by the building's architecture.
Even if the maximum strain experienced by the architectural brace is known, this may not be sufficient to assess the structural integrity of the core member, without more information regarding the number and/or amplitude of reversed loads experienced by the core member. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for systems and methods of determining whether architectural braces are in need of replacement after the occurrence of a deformation inducing event.